Religion News: Should the death penalty be abolished?

Weekly religion rail, with lead item on how religious groups view the death penalty. Complete list from Pew Forum is included; edit as appropriate to your area.

Ahead of a Supreme Court case on lethal injection, the Pew Forum took a look at how U.S. religious groups view capital punishment. Here are some of their beliefs:

American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A.: Since 1982, it has opposed capital punishment in the United States.

Buddhism: There is no common position among Buddhists on capital punishment, but many emphasize nonviolence and appreciation for life. As a result, in countries with large Buddhist populations, such as Thailand, capital punishment is rare.

Catholicism: Although the Catechism of the Catholic Church sanctions the use of the death penalty as a last recourse, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has repeatedly called for the abolition of capital punishment in the United States in all circumstances.

Episcopal Church: Since the 1958 General Convention, U.S. Episcopal bishops have maintained a position against the death penalty.

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: Although the Churchwide Assembly added the death penalty to the church's social agenda in 1989, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America has yet to establish an official stance on the issue.

Hinduism: There is no official position on capital punishment among Hindus, and Hindu theologians fall on both sides of the issue.

Islam: In the United States, where Islamic law is not legally enforced, there is no official Muslim position on the death penalty. In Islamic countries, however, capital punishment is sanctioned in only two instances: cases involving intentional murder or physical harm of another; and intentional harm or threat against the state, including the spread of terror.

Judaism: All of the major Jewish movements in the United States either advocate for the abolition of the death penalty or have called for at least a temporary moratorium on its use.

Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod: In 1976, it asserted "that capital punishment is in accord with the Holy Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions."

Mormonism: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has no official position on the issue and considers the death penalty to be a matter of the state and civil law.

National Association of Evangelicals: Since its 1972 and 1973 resolutions on the issue, the National Association of Evangelicals has continued to support the use of capital punishment in cases involving premeditated murder as well as crimes such as hijacking and kidnapping where people are physically harmed.

National Council of Churches: The National Council of Churches, which represents 35 mainstream Protestant and Orthodox churches, has advocated for the abolition of the death penalty since 1968.

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A): Since its first official statement on the issue in 1959, reaffirmed again in 1977 and 1978, it has opposed the death penalty.

Southern Baptist Convention: In 2000, the Southern Baptist Convention issued a resolution in support of the fair and equitable use of capital punishment.

Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations: It has called for a moratorium on executions since 1961.

United Methodist Church: In 2000, it declared its opposition to the death penalty and encouraged its membership to advocate for the abolition of capital punishment.

Quote of Note

“I am very glad to welcome Tony Blair into the Catholic Church. For a long time, he has been a regular worshipper at Mass with his family, and in recent months, he has been following a program of formation to prepare for his reception into full communion.”

Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, Archbishop of Westminster, in a statement after the former British prime minister converted to Catholicism in December. Blair made a big deal about not discussing religion while he was in office, which led to much speculation about his beliefs.

Good Book?

“Wonderlust: A Spiritual Travelogue for the Adventurous Soul,” by Vicki Kuyper: A title as alluring as “Wonderlust” can't help evoking fantasies of the author's recollections, taking the reader floating across the world in luxuriously reflective repose or exciting adventure. Unfortunately, Kuyper does not quite deliver on the book's titular promise. Though her many vignettes tell of travels as far and wide as Machu Picchu in Peru, Assisi in Italy and the wilds of the Amazon, these are usually too short to suggest much sense of place, and each ends abruptly with a laundry list of textbook like questions that attempt to shepherd readers through a similar revelatory spiritual moment. Though perfect for the morning commute, these short chapters won't satisfy the traveler who's settled in for a long trip. -- Publishers Weekly

The Word

Mala beads: This is a string of beads -- 108 is a common number -- of uniform size. There is one larger bead, called the guru mother or focal bead. They are sometimes called "prayer beads," "worry beads" or "Buddhist rosaries." The beads can be made from a variety of materials, such as sandalwood, teak, glass, bone, gemstones, and coconut. The beads are used as counters to help Buddhists, Hindus, and yoga practitioners repeat their mantra a certain number of times. They can also help a person stay focused during meditation. -- Religioustolerance.org

Religion Around the World

Religious makeup of Finland (2003 count):

Lutheran Church of Finland: 84.2 percent

Orthodox Church: 1.1 percent

Other Christian: 1.1 percent

Other: 0.1 percent

None: 13.5 percent

-- Source: CIA World Factbook

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